#December2014

I generally fucking hate Year-End Best Of lists. They invariably turn into nitpicking, criticizing, and semantics. That fucking word, “Best.” Who gives a shit what was best? I don’t. So instead, at the end of this year, I’m presenting to you my favorites in pop culture. And I hope that this list can kickstart some friendly banter and sharing of our enjoyments, as opposed to bitching, moaning, and arguing. Liking shit is dope, and these are the shits I liked the most.

Hello, fellow cosmonauts. This is View from the Space-Ship. Where I share what my compartment of this old Tin Bucket has looked like over the past week. I’m truthfully fighting sleep as I type this. So here you go! If you’re inclined, and I hope you are, share your own pics in the comments.

It’s Monday! But fuck, who cares. You could grouse about that shit, or you can do what I did. Yeah, I did that. You know. Unleashed the soft-serve ice cream machine into the depths of my pants. Ran up to the first Authority Figure I could find on campus. Hugged him with a ferocity, velocity, and eagerness seldom seen. Embraced the cold, yet welcoming, explosion of soft serve ice cream that rocketed up out of my unbuttoned jean shorts. Hitting us both in the neck, face, tits, soul. Screamed “We just ice CREAMED all over each other. #YOLO #YOLO #BADPUNS”, not forgetting to say HASHTAG before all three.

You could do that.

Or. Or you could just come hang out in Monday Morning Commute. The collection of arts, farts, social engineering projects, cataclysmic poor decisions, and other things you’re looking forward to this week.

Yeah okay so I’m not a financialogist or whatever and I can’t read the inner sanctums of the economic markets and shit. So when I hear that graphic novel sales are up 10% at book stores, I can’t really analyze the actual repercussions. So I’m just going to celebrate the surface level victory.

So 2013 is in the rearview, but what a year for comics, am I right? While Marvel had an impressive and diverse publishing initiative in Marvel NOW, DC alienated fans across the board with bland updates to their characters (save for Batman & Wonder Woman, maybe) and business practices that would seem right at home in the mid 20th century. Meanwhile, Image released a flood of new titles that only continued to improve their brand as the go-to company for independent, creator-owned fare. Paul Pope dropped his long awaited Battle Boy, comic legend Gilbert Hernandez dropped five new books, and we got another issue of Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve. We even got some “Event” books that weren’t half-bad. Hit the jump and check out what we here on Spaceship Omega thought was the 13 Best Comics of 2013, and make sure to agree/disagree with our rankings in the comments section!

Reflectin’ on the last twelve months, I have to say that it was a pretty solid year. Am I without financial concerns? Do I wield enough agency to do whatever I please? Have I achieved all my goals? No. No. And no.

But as far as relative simple lives go, mine is a goddamn blessing. I’m surrounded by righteous friends. My zany family has my back. I live with the absolutely babe-tacular Bride of Frankenstein. I’ve got a job I believe in. And I don’t have to travel to a rival village, murder an elder with a rock, and steal the water supply.

Also, they still let me navigate Spaceship OL!

So with my love of life intact, let’s meander through some of my personal favorites from the year TWO-ZERO-ONE-THREE!

2013 was a bit of a benchmark year for me in the realm of my personal life. Over the course of the last twelve months I have: successfully not shit my pants (time left), moved into my first official apartment with my girlfriend (I was squatting in hers), spent hundreds of dollars on caffeinated products, proposed to said girlfriend and begun planning a wedding, played far too many hours of Borderlands 2, stared at far too many asses on Tumblr, taught my first classes (I love it), and hung with the Gang Omega far too little.

The drawback of a boomin’ personal life is that pop culture has flowed through my brain with far too little interaction this year. What I perceive, I half perceive. What I enjoy is fleeting. Worse still, I’ve ventured very little out of my comfort zone. Indie games, comics, movies, and fetish sites have been largely ignored due to want of time.

As a result, my list is a pedestrian collection of my favorites from a very sad little slice of what arrived onto the scene this past calendar year.

Hell to the Robot Fucking Yes. This past weekend Saga Vol. 1 won the Hugo award for Best Graphic Story. Vaughan and Staples have continually delivered my favorite title of the month every time it drops, and it is delicious to see them getting rewarded for their excellence. I’m not saying it is the ideal way for them to get rewarded, though. In my mind, they come over to my house. I’m wearing nothing but a bikini made out of Jell-O. I serve them dinner (pasta and meat balls, obviously) while complimenting them on their wonderful title. After dinner we play Jenga, pausing briefly for neck messages that I dole out with extreme aplomb. They leave, really knowing that they’re appreciated.

Hnng. Fiona Staples artwork is lovely. Dare I say, nonpareil? I just wanted to use that word. Probably incorrectly, too. So uh whatever. Anyways! There is an article in Time Magazine about Saga, and the brilliant Staples cut a little bit of awesome artwork for the commemoration.